Sisters are doing IT for themselves
A new mentoring and support group is launching, aiming to shatter the ‘frosted glass ceiling’ that prevents many women in IT research from rising to the top of their profession. The women@CL project aims to redress an imbalance that sees more women in IT research aspiring to leadership positions than men – by 33% to 22% - yet contributing only 1 in 20 computing professors, 1 in 8 computing researchers and 1 in 4 PhD students.
Professor Ursula Martin, of Queen Mary University of London and also director of women@CL, said: “There are various initiatives to encourage more women to study IT at school and at university, but these initiatives don’t extend beyond undergraduate education or into industry. The aim of our group is at least partially to fill that void: by celebrating, informing and supporting women in the UK who are, or plan to be, engaged in computing research or academic leadership.
“Computing research is an exciting, important and social activity, and research transforms the world we live in. It’s about creating the technology we use every day, like search engines or mobile phones, or working with other scientists to figure out the answers to big questions such as how to get computers to recognise emotions, or what is going on in the human genome. The business case for having diverse teams to tackle these challenges is clear: diverse teams make better progress.
“But the opportunities for effective, diverse teams decrease when there are too few women in leadership positions. We call it the frosted glass ceiling because it’s not that it’s unbreakable, it’s just that we have, historically, had difficulty in seeing through it,” added Professor Martin.
Chris Bishop, assistant director, Microsoft Research Cambridge commented: “Microsoft Research Cambridge recognises the skills that women continue to bring to all aspects of computing research particularly those where interdisciplinary skills are prevalent. We’re pleased to see this launch and are proud sponsors of the women@CL project."
women@CL will support women in computing research with a focus on interdisciplinary research, leadership and enterprise, through a programme of career development activities which will include regional and national workshops, mentoring and networking. The first event is at Queen Mary University of London, on December 20th.
women@CL – women in the computer laboratory - has been made possible by support from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) through a Network Grant, the British Computer Society (BCS), Microsoft Research, Intel Cambridge Research, Queen Mary University of London, and the University of Cambridge.
It has its logistical base at the computer laboratory at the University of Cambridge and will mark its formal launch at the BCS Roger Needham Lecture, being held on December 8th at the Royal Society.
The first women@CL event is at Queen Mary University of London on 20th December 2004, speakers to include Professor Donia Scott and Dr Mounia Lalmas. More information at:
www.dcs.qmul.ac.uk/women/LondonHopper.html
www.cl.cam.ac.uk/women
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